Monday, September 7, 2009

Date : 9.9.2009
Venue : Room No. 623
Time : 11.00 AM
Agenda item No. 1 : Leave of absence
Agenda item No. 2 : Confirmation of minutes of 95th meeting of the GEAC held on 8.7.2009.
Agenda item No. 3 : Action taken report on the decision taken in the 95th GEAC
meeting.

Policy issue

1. Report of the Sub-committee constituted by the GEAC to finalize the list of studies to be conducted by the applicant under BRL-I and BRL-II trials.
2. Stocktaking assessment of GM crops which are under various stages field testing.
3. Recommendation of RCGM regarding the procedure for submission of applications for conduct of field trials of GE crops up to BRL-I level.
4. Discussion on conducting BRL-I trials with direct imported GM seeds by applicants without carrying out R&D work in the country.
5. Constitution of an Appellate Authority to address grievances that can not be resolved by the standing committee constituted by the GEAC to review applications for commercial release of Bt cotton hybrids expressing approved events.

Agenda item No. 4: Consideration of application for confined field trials of transgenic crops
expressing new genes/events as recommended by the RCGM.

4.1
Permission for seed production on six Bt brinjal varieties namely Malapur local (S) Bt (ML(S) Bt); Manjarigota Bt (MG Bt); Udupigulla Bt (UG Bt); Kudachi local Bt (KL Bt); Rabkavi local Bt (RL Bt) and GO112 Bt containing cry 1Ac gene (Event EE1) at University of Agricultural Sciences (USA), Dharwad for conducting Biosafety Research Level II (BRL-II) experiment for all the six Bt Brinjal varieties by M/s University of Agricultural Sciences, Dharwad.

4.2
Permission to conduct event selection trials for evaluation of vacuolar acid and invertase RNAi-transgenic events namely K.Chipsona-1, K.ChipInv RNAi-2214, K.ChipInv RNAi-2013 K.ChipInv RNAi-2311, K.ChipInv RNAi-2123, K.ChipInv RNAi-2262 K.ChipInv RNAi-2213 K.ChipInv RNAi-2015 for evaluation of reduction in cold-induced sweetening and cossequent improvement in chip colour. Further selection is to be made on the basis of cold –processing /chipping attributes by Central Potato Research Institute, Shimla.

4.3
Permission to conduct event selection trials (confined field trials) on marker 20 Bt Rice events namely 2Bt -1 to 2 Bt -20 containing cry1 Ab gene to evaluate the efficacy of marker free Bt rice events expressing the Cry 2Ab protein compared to their non –Bt counterparts and checks against target insect pest viz . Yellow Stem Borer (Scirpophaga incertulas) and assessment of the effect of Cry 2Ab Bt protein expressed in Bt rice events on non-target pests and beneficial insects of rice at Nizamabad, AP during Rabi-2009 by Mahyco.

4.4
Permission to conduct experimental hybrid seed production of one transgenic cotton hybrid i.e. WS 106 expressing cry 1F and cry 1Ac proteins (WideStrike TM=cry 1F event 281-24-236+cry1Ac event 3006-210-23 in one location at their R&D centre in 0.5 acre area in South zone during kharif 2009. The hybrid will be utilized for conducting regulatory field trials in kharif 2010 and other biosafety studies by M/s Dow Agrosciences India Pvt. Ltd.

Agenda Item No 5: Other items

5.1 Export of Bt cotton hybrid seed to Pakistan and Philippines by M/s Nath Biogene (I) Ltd. Aurangabad.
5.2 Representation from National Seed Association of India for Inclusion of State of Orissa as a part of Central zone for the purpose of Bt. cotton cultivation.

Agenda Item No 6: Any other matter with the permission of the Chair.

Information to project proponents: Proponents who wish to present their case/views before the GEAC
may be available during the meeting on 9.9.2009.